The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, called for the immediate creation of a nuclear safety and protection zone at the Russian-occupied ZNPP and the surrounding area due to the increased risk of an emergency situation at the plant due to new shelling.
“The shelling led to the complete blackout of Enerhodar and jeopardized the safe operation of the nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This must be stopped and the establishment of a nuclear safety and protection zone must be urgently agreed,” Grossi said.
“A nuclear power plant can never be a pawn in a war. Its fate should not be decided by military means. The consequences of such actions are too serious,” the director of the IAEA emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that it is currently unlikely that a reliable power supply outside the ZNPP site can be restored. At the same time, Grossi drew attention to the fact that the shelling endangers the operators and their families, and this complicates the adequate staffing of the station.
“All together, this significantly increases the risk of a nuclear accident,” the head of the IAEA emphasized.
As reported, on the evening of September 8, residents of Melitopol and Enerhodar (Zaporizhzhia region), as well as some other settlements, were left without electricity due to shelling. The mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, said in a telegram channel that the occupiers combine their provocations with shelling in Energodar itself with shelling on the opposite bank.
One unit No. 6 operates at the ZNPP to meet the station’s own needs, all external power lines – both main and reserve – are damaged.
